THE MARTIAN RACE

Narrator Gabrielle de Cuir takes listeners inside an exhilarating competition to explore Mars in this lively science-fiction production. After a CHALLENGER-type disaster leads to the grounding of NASA's Mars program, the exploration of the Red Planet falls to private industry. The first organization to go to Mars and return stands to earn a multibillion-dollar reward. One group mounts a minimally funded expedition, luring a crew of former NASA astronauts, including veteran Julia Barth, away from its competitors. De Cuir skillfully brings to life the multifaceted Aussie biologist and her international crewmates with a multitude of authentic accents. She also keeps the necessary flashbacks of backstory wonderfully animated. The result is one satisfying Martian journey. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2015]